Last weekend's Puget Sound visit included a late night lakefront park visit to watch the International Space Station pass silently overhead, regular as clockwork every 90 minutes or so.
Check out spotthestation.nasa.gov schedule for our area here.
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Space.com reports: Perseid Meteor Shower Will Be Extra Awesome This Year, NASA Says. Where and how to see it, link here. Cloudy? Ustream link here August 11-12, and 12-13.
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Space.com reports: Perseid Meteor Shower Will Be Extra Awesome This Year, NASA Says. Where and how to see it, link here. Cloudy? Ustream link here August 11-12, and 12-13.
Photos from NASA Facebook page - link here.
According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, the Perseids are perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year. They will be in "outburst" in 2016, which means they'll appear at double the usual rates. "This year, instead of seeing about 80 Perseids per hour, the rate could top 150 and even approach 200 meteors per hour," Cooke said in an earlier article here.
Alternatively, Toledo’s own astrophysicist Ethan Siegel (Starts With A Bang, Facebook link here) reports “Will seeing a meteor, on average, once every 15-20 seconds – while the Moon washes the entire sky out until 1 AM – really be a spectacular show? If you’re a big meteor shower fan, this will be a pretty good one, but if you’re a casual skywatcher looking for something you’ll never forget, this isn’t it.”
Anyone up for a star party?
***
Toss the Swiffer, get a pony: According to a tiny but illuminating study, barnyard dust may play a key role in low asthma rates. More than 10% of school-aged children are diagnosed with asthma, that number rising. Check out the difference between two similar populations and note the distinct differences in immune responses and rates of asthma, link here.
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Food Corner: From trusted source MindBodyGreen.com: “Over the years, I've heard all kinds of tips for how to keep an avocado from turning brown…” Here’s one that works - The Easy Way To Keep Your Guac (And Avocados!) From Turning Brown, link here.
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Today: Support - Al-Anon Courage To Change AFG, 7 p.m. Fridays at Toledo Presbyterian Church, 312 Augustus.
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Washington Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commission meets today and Saturday in Olympia. One new fishing license under consideration would establish a new combination fishing license for Washington residents 70 years and older. The commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed combination license and take action Friday. Details here. Agenda here.
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Winlock Saturday Market runs 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. through September 24. This week the Activity Booth features Paper Plate Creation Crafts, plus Andrew - known as Mr Bubbles - will be on hand. On Facebook here. Toledo’s own Native Soil Farmer Billie Washington markets her better-than-organic, home-grown herbs and produce there, along with other local goods. Native Soil Farm is on Facebook, link here.
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Also Saturday: Art Eruption: Create Art in the shadow of Mt St Helens. Open to all ages. Details on Facebook here.
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Monday: Join Common Ground Garden Community green thumb-types 10 a.m. at the Oregon Trail Marker to lend a hand for a joint historical/gardening venture. Facebook link here.
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Monday night: Movie Night - Zootopia 6 p.m. at Toledo Elementary. District Facebook page link here.
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Reservations required: Wednesday Toledo Senior Center Nutrition Lunch brings back a childhood favorite - Sloppy Joes with peas & carrots, cottage cheese with apricots and banana cake, Friday veggie lasagna with garlic bread, green salad and peaches plus chocolate cake. Nutrition Lunches Wednesday and Friday are sponsored in part by Area Agency on Aging. Suggested donation $3 for those 60+ years of age. Contact Diana, diana.haug@lewsicountywa.gov or call (360)864-2112.
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Reminder: From Lewis County Fire District 2 (Toledo Fire Department), this press release from lewsicountywa.gov on the current burn ban:
LEWIS COUNTY BURN RESTRICTIONS EFFECTIVE AUGUST 2, 2016
The Lewis County Board of County Commissioners and the Lewis County Fire Marshal will be enacting burn restrictions on outdoor burning for all of unincorporated Lewis County, effective at 12:01 a.m. August 2.
“After careful review of the current and extended weather forecast, the Lewis County Community Development Director and the fire marshal have determined that current weather conditions within Lewis County have created substantial fire dangers throughout Lewis County, and that there is a need to enact restriction on outdoor burning on all lands regulated by the County of Lewis, EXCEPT for recreational campfires in designated campgrounds and on private lands if built in the following manner:
The countywide burn ban will remain in effect throughout the summer.
For further information concerning outdoor burning and/or the restrictions being imposed, please contact Lee Napier, community development director, at (360) 740-1146. The Fire Marshal’s office is in the Lewis County Public Services building, located at 2025 NE Kresky Avenue, Chehalis, Washington.
DiscoverLewisCounty.com on campfires in Washington State Parks: Up-to-date fire ban information can be found at this link. As of Aug. 1, fires are allowed in all designated fire pits in state parks located in Lewis County. DiscoverLewisCounty.com website link here. Also on Facebook here.
***
Photos from TOT archives unless otherwise noted.
Email your news, reviews and events to: toledo.columnist@gmail.com
According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, the Perseids are perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year. They will be in "outburst" in 2016, which means they'll appear at double the usual rates. "This year, instead of seeing about 80 Perseids per hour, the rate could top 150 and even approach 200 meteors per hour," Cooke said in an earlier article here.
Alternatively, Toledo’s own astrophysicist Ethan Siegel (Starts With A Bang, Facebook link here) reports “Will seeing a meteor, on average, once every 15-20 seconds – while the Moon washes the entire sky out until 1 AM – really be a spectacular show? If you’re a big meteor shower fan, this will be a pretty good one, but if you’re a casual skywatcher looking for something you’ll never forget, this isn’t it.”
Anyone up for a star party?
***
Toss the Swiffer, get a pony: According to a tiny but illuminating study, barnyard dust may play a key role in low asthma rates. More than 10% of school-aged children are diagnosed with asthma, that number rising. Check out the difference between two similar populations and note the distinct differences in immune responses and rates of asthma, link here.
***
Food Corner: From trusted source MindBodyGreen.com: “Over the years, I've heard all kinds of tips for how to keep an avocado from turning brown…” Here’s one that works - The Easy Way To Keep Your Guac (And Avocados!) From Turning Brown, link here.
***
Today: Support - Al-Anon Courage To Change AFG, 7 p.m. Fridays at Toledo Presbyterian Church, 312 Augustus.
***
Washington Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commission meets today and Saturday in Olympia. One new fishing license under consideration would establish a new combination fishing license for Washington residents 70 years and older. The commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed combination license and take action Friday. Details here. Agenda here.
***
Winlock Saturday Market runs 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. through September 24. This week the Activity Booth features Paper Plate Creation Crafts, plus Andrew - known as Mr Bubbles - will be on hand. On Facebook here. Toledo’s own Native Soil Farmer Billie Washington markets her better-than-organic, home-grown herbs and produce there, along with other local goods. Native Soil Farm is on Facebook, link here.
***
Also Saturday: Art Eruption: Create Art in the shadow of Mt St Helens. Open to all ages. Details on Facebook here.
***
Monday: Join Common Ground Garden Community green thumb-types 10 a.m. at the Oregon Trail Marker to lend a hand for a joint historical/gardening venture. Facebook link here.
***
Monday night: Movie Night - Zootopia 6 p.m. at Toledo Elementary. District Facebook page link here.
***
Reservations required: Wednesday Toledo Senior Center Nutrition Lunch brings back a childhood favorite - Sloppy Joes with peas & carrots, cottage cheese with apricots and banana cake, Friday veggie lasagna with garlic bread, green salad and peaches plus chocolate cake. Nutrition Lunches Wednesday and Friday are sponsored in part by Area Agency on Aging. Suggested donation $3 for those 60+ years of age. Contact Diana, diana.haug@lewsicountywa.gov or call (360)864-2112.
***
Reminder: From Lewis County Fire District 2 (Toledo Fire Department), this press release from lewsicountywa.gov on the current burn ban:
LEWIS COUNTY BURN RESTRICTIONS EFFECTIVE AUGUST 2, 2016
The Lewis County Board of County Commissioners and the Lewis County Fire Marshal will be enacting burn restrictions on outdoor burning for all of unincorporated Lewis County, effective at 12:01 a.m. August 2.
“After careful review of the current and extended weather forecast, the Lewis County Community Development Director and the fire marshal have determined that current weather conditions within Lewis County have created substantial fire dangers throughout Lewis County, and that there is a need to enact restriction on outdoor burning on all lands regulated by the County of Lewis, EXCEPT for recreational campfires in designated campgrounds and on private lands if built in the following manner:
- The campfire shall be no greater than three feet in diameter and constructed of a ring and metal stone or brick eight inches above surface with a two-foot wide area cleared down to exposed soil surrounding the outside of the pit.
- The campfire shall have an area at least 10 feet around it cleared of all flammable material and at least 20 feet of clearance from overhead flammable materials or fuels.
- The campfire must be attended at all times by a responsible person at least 16 years old with the ability to extinguish the fire with a shovel and a five gallon bucket of water or with a connected and charged water hose.
- Completely extinguish campfires by pouring water or moist soil in them and stirring with a shovel until all parts are cool to the touch. The use of self-contained camp stoves is encouraged as an alternative.”
The countywide burn ban will remain in effect throughout the summer.
For further information concerning outdoor burning and/or the restrictions being imposed, please contact Lee Napier, community development director, at (360) 740-1146. The Fire Marshal’s office is in the Lewis County Public Services building, located at 2025 NE Kresky Avenue, Chehalis, Washington.
DiscoverLewisCounty.com on campfires in Washington State Parks: Up-to-date fire ban information can be found at this link. As of Aug. 1, fires are allowed in all designated fire pits in state parks located in Lewis County. DiscoverLewisCounty.com website link here. Also on Facebook here.
***
Photos from TOT archives unless otherwise noted.
Email your news, reviews and events to: toledo.columnist@gmail.com
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